1
a
: having no give or slack : tightly drawn
a taut rope
b
: high-strung, tense
taut nerves
2
a
: kept in proper order or condition
a taut ship
b(1)
: not loose or flabby
taut skin
(2)
: marked by economy of structure and detail
a taut story
tautly
adverb
tautness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of taut in a Sentence
Adjective
The rope was drawn taut.
The book is a taut thriller.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024
The warm vibrations will help de-puff and make your skin look more taut while the red light therapy works to decrease dark circles, lines, and more.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The movement pulls skin taut over the ribs, spine and musculature of her back, enlivening the subject’s tactile sensuality.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The unseen menace keeps suspense taut, though some will find the resolution of its mystery a bit heavy-handed, as well as tricky to reconcile with prior events.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024
Stretch your skin Use your free hand to gently stretch the skin taut, creating a smoother glide for the dermaplaning blade.
—Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2024
Lopez, 54, showed off her taut abs in a cropped dark-green top with long sleeves and a high neck, finishing the look in wide-leg jeans and platform shoes and carrying a green handbag.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Written by Ernest Kinoy based on his own World War II experience, this taut and thoughtful drama of an American POW conflicted about whether to reveal his Jewish identity to his German captors is impeccably acted by a cast that includes Don Gordon, Ivan Dixon and Clu Gulager.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Pull it taut, fitting the shoulder onto a corner of the rectangular end of the board.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Adjective
On a plane or the surface of a sphere, for instance, this is possible — think about pulling a string taut.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024
The warm vibrations will help de-puff and make your skin look more taut while the red light therapy works to decrease dark circles, lines, and more.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The movement pulls skin taut over the ribs, spine and musculature of her back, enlivening the subject’s tactile sensuality.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The unseen menace keeps suspense taut, though some will find the resolution of its mystery a bit heavy-handed, as well as tricky to reconcile with prior events.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024
Stretch your skin Use your free hand to gently stretch the skin taut, creating a smoother glide for the dermaplaning blade.
—Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2024
Lopez, 54, showed off her taut abs in a cropped dark-green top with long sleeves and a high neck, finishing the look in wide-leg jeans and platform shoes and carrying a green handbag.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Written by Ernest Kinoy based on his own World War II experience, this taut and thoughtful drama of an American POW conflicted about whether to reveal his Jewish identity to his German captors is impeccably acted by a cast that includes Don Gordon, Ivan Dixon and Clu Gulager.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Pull it taut, fitting the shoulder onto a corner of the rectangular end of the board.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'taut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Taut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taut. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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